A handy and rich addition to soups because its proteins have been greatly diluted by fat globules and are less likely to form a skin (like milk does) when heated or boiled. It is also fairly immune to curdling in the presence of acidic or salty foods.

FoodTale: The word cream comes from the Greek Chriein, which means to anoint. This word is also the root word of Christ, the Anointed One.

Evaporated milk

Mary Bruce of Brunswick, Maine, cites this as a good and healthy substitute for cream as a soup thickener, adding body and helping to avoid curdling. She credits Marjorie Standish, author of Cooking Down East with the idea.

Yoghurt

A reasonably good thickener for certain soups--especially Middle Eastern.